Dount Gets Dunked
by isdonisgood
Summary: Duncan gets caught in Mexico with Lilly and now he must face the time for he's crime. This was written for the October vmfic gameon episode challange. It goes AU after 2.07.


Fic: Donut gets Dunked (Duncan, Logan, Veronica, Lamb) PG15+

Title: Donut gets Dunked  
Rating: PG15+  
Summary: This fic is written for the vmfic_gameon October episode challenge. Duncan gets caught in Mexico with Lilly and now he must face the time for his crime.  
Spoilers: Up to episode 2.07  
Disclaimer: As sad as I am to admit this I do not own Veronica Mars.  
Author's Note (Optional): This piece actually is kinda beta'd. Which is a first for me and I say kinda beta'd because I got my roommate, whose never watched Veronica Mars, to read it and go over the grammar and spelling for me. So I named the judge after him. Also Veronica is no longer with Duncan and didn't help him take Lilly.

Day 1

"In the case of Kane versus the state of California the charges are as followed." The judge called out. Unknown to Duncan and his parents Veronica and Logan sat at the back of the proceedings watching quietly. "One count parental kidnapping of a minor, two counts attacking a police officer, and one count of defamation."

Veronica sighed and put her head in her hands willing herself not to believe that the sweet boy she once loved so many years ago could actually do this. Logan eyed her carefully. He was worried about what this case would do to her but he had agreed to tag along on the days they weren't needed in order to make sure their new found friendship stayed alive. Laying his hand on her back he slowly rubbed his hand up and down her spine as Veronica's memory cast her back to the night that she had broken up with the boy.

_Veronica and Duncan stood watching Lamb leave them at the curb of the road. Duncan stood in shock as Veronica turned on him._

"_Did you have sex with Kendall?" Veronica asked crossing her arms._

"_It wasn't like that." Duncan protested._

"_It's a simple yes or no question, Duncan. It's time for us to stop avoiding things just because it's what you want."_

"_And if I give an answer you'll dump me either way."_

"_Well our chances of being together are slimmer each moment you don't answer the question."_

"_No we didn't have sex" Duncan replied._

"_But," Veronica demanded._

"_But there may have been a blowjob involved."_

"_Well I guess your right, we are over." Veronica replied before leaving Duncan on the curb alone._

"How does the defendant plead?" The judge asked.

"The defendant pleads not guilty." Barry, Duncan's lawyer, said.

"Alright then, let's proceed." The judge said, "Prosecution call your first witness."

"The prosecution would like to call on Mr Duncan Kane." The lawyer at the prosecution desk said. Duncan rose from his seat and walked into the booth to take the oath.

"Now Mr Kane can you tell when you discovered Miss Manning was pregnant?"

"About a month ago, Meg had written it to me in a letter." Duncan whispered.

"And at that time you were in a relationship with a Miss Veronica Mars?" Veronica slunk down further into her seat as trying to make herself as invisible as possible.

"Yes."

"And how's that relationship going for you now you've stolen your ex's baby and were caught?"

"It was over about a week after I found out about Meg. She was avoiding me with a vengeance when I took Lilly."

"Well why did you break up with Miss Mars when you broke up with Miss Manning for Miss Mars?"

"I'm not the one who called off my relationship with Veronica." Duncan said with a shrug.

"Veronica," Logan whispered keeping his voice as low as possible. "Why didn't you tell me that?"

"Does it make any difference?" Veronica asked with a shrug.

"Not really but why?"

"You were right," Veronica whispered continuing on at Logan's puzzled look, "About him and Kendall."

"For what it's worth I didn't want to be"

_Veronica sat at her lunch table slowly picking at her lunch as Logan watched her thoughtfully from across the quad. To caught up in his staring he didn't notice Dick until the guy slapped him on the shoulder._

"_Dude!, Did you hear?" Dick said._

"_Hear what?"_

"_Meg just woke up and is ready to party!"_

"_Who else knows?" Logan said standing up._

"_Not Veronica if that's what you mean"_

"_I'll catch up with you later dude." Logan replied while standing up and grabbing his stuff to head over to Veronica. Halfway there though it finally registered that Duncan was sitting there trying to gat an icy Veronica to talk to him. Looking away from Duncan Veronica saw a stopped Logan severally feet away._

"_Logan what can I do for you?" Veronica asked completely ignoring Duncan._

"_Ah, actually it's more what I can do for you." Logan replied, "You see Dick just told me something very interesting."_

"_Yes." Veronica said and Logan had to suppress a chuckle at her methods of trying to turn Duncan's attention away from her._

"_Well, apparently Meg's awake." Logan whispered. Veronica took a deep breath and looked down at the ground._

"_Can you take me to her?" Veronica asked Logan her eyes not wavering from his, "I don't think I can do it alone."_

"_Then I'll go with you." Duncan said._

_At Veronica's panicked look Logan stepped in, "It's fine. We can go now if you like, it's not like I need to go to my afternoon classes."_

"_Great let's go." Veronica replied jumping up and grabbing Logan's arm._

"Do you deny taking Miss Faith Manning?"

"No. I did take her so that her grandparents couldn't hurt her anymore."

"How do you know that they would do that?"

"Meg's sister Lizze brought me the files from Meg's computer. It had emails going to Docs about a child being abused. I assumed it was one of her baby sitting charges. So I asked my girlfriend at the time to look into it for me and I discovered that the child was her little sister Grace."

"And how did you discover this?"

"I broke into her house to find a sample of the child's writing and found Grace locked in a cupboard."

"And this alone leads you to believe that your daughter would be better off with you and not with her grandparents?"

"Yes."

"Even with your type 4 epilepsy?"

"I'm being medicated for it."

"So that would be a yes."

"Yes. The medication means I have fewer episodes and any episodes I might have I'm less likely to be violent."

"But that didn't stop your parents from believing that you had killed your sister for over a year?"

"Objection your honour!," called Barry.

"Objection sustained, there was no evidence to give proof to that fact. The jury should strike this from the testimony. Don't do that again prosecution." The judge said.

"Noted your honour. Mr Kane, when you realised that you were never legally able to take custody of your child how did you feel?"

"Its not that I couldn't gain custody it more that it was quicker to take her before they gave her up to the adoption agency."

'Ah yes the place that apparently gives a license for abuse' Veronica thought.

_Logan and Veronica walked silently through the halls of the hospital on the way to visit Meg using the pass Veronica had snagged when she had visited Abel. Entering the room after knocking, they both stood silently in front of a conscious Meg._

"_So you've dropped Duncan and gone back to Logan now?" Meg asked._

"_No, well yes but no," Veronica said, "Duncan and I broke up but I'm not back with Logan. He's just my lift." Veronica said with a shrug._

"_Veronica I need your help with something." Meg whispered looking down because she was no longer able to met Veronica's eyes._

"_Sure whatever it is." Veronica replied without a pause._

"_That's it. Even after I've spent months being a bitch to you you'll still agree to do a favour for me." Meg said shocked._

"_Well you can't help it if you're pregnant and hormonal." Veronica responded with a shrug._

"_Ok." Meg whispered, "Well it's just I need to know you will do whatever it takes to keep this baby away from my parents. They want to give it over to this adoption agency and the contract basically gives a license for abuse."_

"_Of course Meg, I know about what was happening to Grace. I'll do anything with in the law to help." Veronica agreed with a nod._

"And why was the picked adoption agency so bad?"

"I saw the contract parents had to sign. It's worded in a way that adoptive parents may as well be given a license for abuse." Duncan stated.

"I would like to submit a copy of the agreement all parents sign as evidence." Barry said standing from his seat.

"I'll allow it." The judge said taking the agreement from the defence.

"Now, Mr Kane, after Miss Manning died what did you do?"

"I asked Veronica for help obtaining custody."

_The doorbell rang in the Mars household 15 minutes before midnight on New Years Eve came. Untangling herself from Wallace's side Veronica got up to answer the door thinking that it was the pizza she and her father had ordered almost an hour ago. Opening the door she was shocked to see Duncan on the other side._

"_I was hoping it wouldn't be you." Veronica said crossing her arms over her chest._

"_I need your help." Duncan whispered. Veronica stood not asking what help he could need and just let him continue, "Meg died."_

"_I know."_

"_I need to get custody of my daughter."_

"_I already promised Meg I'd do everything legally that I can." Veronica replied._

"_You don't understand. I have to take her away."_

"_No! I won't help you with that."_

"_You said you promised Meg –"_

"_Yes I promised Meg that I would do everything within my power and the letter of the law to help her kid but I won't go outside of that." Veronica said forcefully, "Maybe you want to think about that before you ask for my help again." She continued before closing the door in his face._

"_Man! I missed you dumping that rich boy's arse?" Wallace asked._

"_Like I said before, you missed a lot."_

"And what did Miss Mars tell you about that?"

"She said she would do everything she could for me as long as it was within the letter of the law."

"Did that surprise you?"

"Not one bit. She is a cop's daughter after all."

"After Miss Mars didn't agree to help what did you do?"

"I went home and took my mothers diamond earrings and sold them so I'd have enough cash. I waited a week then I took my daughter and headed to Mexico in an old car I'd brought."

"Do you believe that it's ok that you took your daughter?"

"Yes! The Manning's are abusive."

"What proof do you have of that?"

"Nothing that could be offered in court," Duncan whispered.

"So your defamation of the Manning's character is without any proof."

"There is proof but no one has been bothered to do anything about it." Duncan snapped, "The Manning's believe their faith gives them the right to hurt their daughter, so can you imagine what's going to happen to mine."

"But you have no proof. You're just a teenager who stood little to no chance of legally obtaining your only child so you acted like a teenager, impulsively. You grabbed your daughter and took off. That in its self should make you an unfit parent, at the first sign of trouble you left. Those aren't actions of any parent you know is it?"

"No good parent no." Duncan whispered.

"The prosecution rests your honour."

"All right we'll adjourn until tomorrow." The Judge said banging his gabble.

--------

Day 2

Veronica and Logan waited outside the courtroom in a little room. The prosecution's lawyer's assistant was going to tell them when the courtroom had settled down. The pair sat in silence until Logan decided to break it the simplest way he could think of.

"You know we're going to be called on soon." Logan whispered.

"Yeah, I'm not sure if I'm ready for that."

"I'm not either." Logan whispered, "But we have to be."

"I did the right thing Logan. I need you to believe me when I say that." Veronica whispered stopping.

"Yeah, you got accuse all your ex boyfriends of something right."

"There is a difference between accusing someone and them actually doing the crime."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"You're allowed to voice your opinion Logan but not once was anything I accused you of, or anyone else for that matter, true. But what Duncan did was real and I couldn't ignore it."

"Even if Lilly or Faith or whoever she is goes back to her abusive grandparents"

"She's not going to. I have a plan."

"Of course you do," Logan said with a small chuckle.

"Actually it wasn't really my plan, I just provided gadgets." Veronica said with a shrug.

_Veronica walked down the halls Neptune high just feeling all the eyes in the place on her. Sighing she tried her best to ignore them and continued on to her locker. That plan didn't last long though because as soon as she had opened her locker Dick and Logan came over to her._

"_So where did you help Duncan hide?" Dick asked while Logan tried to look anywhere but Veronica._

"_I didn't Duncan hide." Veronica replied._

"_Oh really, well I totally believe your innocent girl act." Dick replied._

"_I'm being serious Dick. I didn't help Duncan escape. It's a federal crime to steal a child. Not that I expect you to know that." Veronica said before slamming her locker shut and walking away from both of them._

"Miss Mars, how did you find out about Mr Kane's plan?" The prosecution asked. The day had begun and once Barry had finished cross examining Duncan the prosecution had called on Veronica.

"When I told him I wouldn't help he wrote me a letter."

"And how did you find this letter?"

"I went to his place a couple of days after he had left with his daughter. I found it while rounding up my stuff."

"Would you explain exactly what happened for jury please?"

_Veronica knocked timidly on the door to the presidential suite praying Logan was home because she had returned her key a couple of days after she had split with Duncan and she wasn't sure if she would be able to come back again. Her prayers were answered though when Logan opened the door though she did wish he had a shirt on at the time._

"_Hey," Veronica whispered, "I was hoping that I would be able to get my stuff."_

"_Sure." Logan whispered opening the door for her before returning to his video game._

"_I won't be long." She said before entering Duncan's room. Looking around she decided to start with the dresser. Grabbing out the cloths she had left there she quickly shoved them into the bag she had brought. She reached in for the last shirt but as she pulled it away she found a letter at the bottom of the draw. Dropping the bag to the ground she reached in cautiously and grabbed the letter out only to find that there were actually two letters there. Looking between them she noticed that one was addressed to her and the other to Logan. Leaving her stuff in the room she headed out to where Logan was._

"_I found this." She whispered dropping onto the couch next to Logan, handing him his letter before opening her own. Logan took the letter, a bit in shock, and opened it._

"What happened when you finished the letter?"

"I realised Duncan had told me where he was going and no matter how much I didn't want to I had to turn the letter over."

"Why didn't you want to?"

"Because Duncan's one of my oldest friends and I only have two of those left."

"That's all your honour." The prosecution said.

"The witness is your defence." The judge said.

"So friendship means a lot to you?" Barry asked.

"It does." Veronica said with a nod.

"But you had no trouble turning in Mr Kane when you found the letter."

"No I didn't"

"And why is that?"

"Well I already told Duncan I wouldn't help him kidnap his daughter and not turning him in would have made me feel like I was helping him."

"And is that really such a bad thing?"

"Yes. To me it would have been."

"Even though it meant that you had to betray a close friend and your first love?"

"Yes"

"You were with Mr Kane though, when he broke into the Manning's house and found out that they were abusing Grace Manning?"

"Yes."

"And what did you do?"

"Not a lot. It was only minutes after we found Grace that Mr Manning came in and called the Sheriff and we were taken out of there."

"But you weren't arrested? There was no police file of you being in the house?"

"Sheriff Lamb dropped us of at the corner of some street and let us go on our way. I didn't really question it, I was just glad not to have been thrown in jail."

"That's all your honour." Barry said before sitting down.

"Alright Miss Mars you can step down. Prosecution call your next witness."

"The prosecution would like to call on Mr Logan Echolls." Logan stood from his seat and gently squeezed Veronica's arm as they moved past each other.

"Mr Echolls what was your reaction to Mr Kane's letter?"

"A bit shocked."

"Why's that?"

"Because I didn't expect it, leaving something like a letter isn't very Duncan."

"How do you mean?"

"Duncan's not one to get into the emotional messy scene." Logan said with a shrug.

"Can you describe to us what happened after you read the letter?"

"I got into a fight with Veronica." Logan whispered, "I didn't want Duncan turned in and she wanted to turn Duncan in and I wasn't to sure about it."

"_Does your letter say what mine does?" Veronica whispered._

"_Where Duncan is?"_

"_Yeah"_

"_Yeah"_

"_We need to go hand these over." Veronica said standing._

"_What do you mean? Who are we going to hand them over to?"_

"_I was thinking the cops because kidnapping is a federal crime Logan and we're accomplices'."_

"_How is that so?"_

"_We know where he is! We know the plan!"_

"_So it's not like we begged him to know!"_

"_It doesn't matter Logan! I'm handing mine over either way."_

"_Well I must say one thing I'm glad that you're treating him the same as me at last."_

"_I didn't realise that I was."_

"_Well you didn't for a while there."_

"_Well you're not the same person." Veronica whispered with a shrug._

"So even though you had your doubts about turning Mr Kane you still did?"

"Yeah I did have doubts but it was the right thing to do." Logan said

"Even though at the time you didn't think it was a good idea?"

"What can I say, I felt a little guilty for even thinking that he could do it but I had the proof in my hands and I couldn't keep it a secret." Logan said with a shrug.

"Mr Echolls, you were questioned by the police when Mr Kane first disappeared right?"

"Yes"

"And what did you tell them?"

"That I didn't know where Duncan went, that it was unlikely he went to Mexico." Logan said with a shrug.

"Why's that?"

"He never really liked Mexico, he didn't like coming when some friends and I went to on trips Tijuana."

"So for record you didn't lie to protect your friend?"

"No I just truly believed he wouldn't go somewhere he didn't like."

"That's all your honour."

"The witness is yours defence." The judge said.

"The defence doesn't wish to question the witness any further your honour." Barry said.

"Ok then, Mr Echolls you may sit down. Prosecution your next witness please," the judge responded.

"The prosecution would like to call on Sheriff Don Lamb."

Logan stood and took back his seat next to Veronica as she watched the Sheriff prepare to start his testimony. Veronica knew that the prosecution was fuming because they couldn't get the two FBI agents that were assigned to the case as actual witnesses. Turning to Logan she leaned over and whispered in his ear, "You give excellent testimony."

"As do you Mars." He whispered back before they both turned back to watch Lamb.

"Sheriff Lamb what was the first thing you did when you discovered that Mr Kane had taken his child?"

"For high profile cases like this, we automatically call the FBI."

"And when the FBI got there what happened?"

"We brought in Miss Mars for questioning?"

"Can you tell us in your own words what happened during that investigation?"

"_Miss Mars could you just tell us what we want to know?" Sheriff Lamb asked._

"_I don't know where he went and if I did I'd tell you." Veronica replied in a pleading like voice, "I know this is a federal offence."_

"_When has that ever stopped you before?"_

"_I may have bent the line of law in the past but I most certainly have never crossed. And that's not going to happen anytime soon."_

"_What was your last conversation with Duncan Kane like?"_

"_He asked for my help and I told him that I would do everything in my power to help him as long as it was within the lines of the law." Veronica replied._

"_Maybe he threatened you to help?"_

"_No he didn't. I offered to help in everyway I could, legally but that didn't seem to be enough for him. Before I even really try to help, he'd taken his daughter and ran."_

"Did you believe Miss Mars?"

"No. But I should have."

"Why's that?"

"Because when she found out where Duncan had gone she turned over the evidence to the Sheriffs department without a moments thought."

"And after that?"

"I took a patrol to Mexico and apprehended him. Not before he had attacked two of my best men though."

"And without Miss Mars and Mr Echolls' evidence you would have never found them?"

"Well we had all the cars going through the border being thoroughly checked." The Sheriff said, "I have faith we would have found them eventually."

"But you didn't?"

"No."

"Can you tell us how badly your officers where attacked?"

"Deputy Sacks was sent to hospital but Deputy D'Amato was ok."

"That's all you honour."

"The witness is yours defence." The judge said.

"Why wasn't there a report of the break in at Manning house?"

"I didn't find it relevant and there wasn't enough evidence for a conviction." Lamb replied.

"The defence has no ,ore questions of the witness."

"Alright, you may sit down Sheriff Lamb. Call your next witness prosecution." The judge said

"The prosecution has no more witnesses."

"Defence do you have any witnesses?"

"No your honour," Barry said.

"Alright jury. You may start your deliberations." The judge said before banging his gabble.

------------------

Day 4

"All rise for the honourable Judge Chambers." The Bailiff said. The judge walked in and sat down.

"Jury have you reached a verdict?" The judge asked.

"Yes we have." The Forman said.

"And that is."

"In the case of Kane versus the state of California on the count of paternal kidnapping of a minor we find the defendant guilty, on two counts of assault of a police officer we find the defendant guilty, and on the count of defamation we find the defendant not guilty." The Forman said.

"Thank you. These are serious charges and taking on board the evidence given and the nature of the crime I ask you to stand." Duncan and Barry stood to listen to the answer, "For one count of paternal kidnapping and two counts of assault of a police officer I sentence you to three years in a minimal correction facility. Court adjourned. Take him away officers." The Judge said banging his gabble and before waiting for them to take Duncan and leaving as soon as everyone in the room had stood.

---------

Veronica and Logan left the courtroom in silence, their minds racing at the thought that one of their oldest and gentlest friends was going to jail for 3 years.

"Wait you said there was a plan to make sure Duncan's daughter didn't go to the Manning's" Logan said stopping and grabbing Veronica's arm.

"Well there is." Veronica replied before pointing as Lizzie and Grace Manning made their way over to the pair, "Well?" she asked.

"The three of us are going to stay with our aunt." Lizzie replied.

"That's great." Veronica replied.

"What's going on?" Logan asked looking between the 2 girls clueless.

"I'll let Veronica explain." Lizzie said before taking Grace's hand and leaving.

Turning to Veronica Logan waited until she spoke, "They wanted some cameras so they could get evidence of the abuse and blackmailing their parents into letting them go to their aunt's and Lily-Faith is going with them." Veronica said with a shrug.

"You never cease to surprise me Mars." Logan said with a shake of his head and placing an arm around her as they both left.

The End.


End file.
